Namazori Kokatana Japanese Hand Made Carving Knife By Second Generation Kiyotada

Smith name: Shimamura Kouzaburo 

Steel: White Steel

Cutting edge length: 60mm

Total length: 188mm 

Blade thickness: about 3.0mm

Manufacture Era: Before 1995 (according to collector’s memory)

Weight: 43g

Accessories：-

Additional Information: Used. in good condition. 

生反り小刀(Namazori Kokatana), Nama/生 has many meanings in Japanese. In the name of this knife, it means unfinished; Zori/反り means bend; Kokatana/小刀 means small knife.

As to why this knife is an unfinished curved knife, the Tokyo chisels smith third generation Hidari-Hisasaku gave me the answer when I visited him two years ago.

Since the degree of blade bending depends on the object the woodworker is working on, blacksmiths do not complete the hardening work on Namazori Kokatana. Normally the carpenter would take the knife back to the job site, adjust the bend, and then harden it. To the blacksmith it was an unfinished knife. That's why it got this name.But now the situation has changed. Many carpenters cannot even sharpen and adjust their tools properly, let alone heat and harden the blades.

By the way, this knife was hardened by Shimamura Kouzaburo.